


Miss Jones Comes to Harlem's Paradise

by chelseagirl



Category: Jessica Jones (TV), Luke Cage (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Gen, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 12:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15073388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseagirl/pseuds/chelseagirl
Summary: After the events ofLuke Cageseason 2, an old friend stops by to see Luke at Harlem's Paradise.





	Miss Jones Comes to Harlem's Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for _Luke Cage_ season 2, _Jessica Jones_ season 2, and _The Defenders_. Mentions of other Marvel Neflix Universe characters.
> 
>  _Luke Cage_ season 2 ended in a potentially dark place. While I'm still processing its events myself, I imagined how Jessica might respond to the news.

“Boss, there’s a woman here to see you. Won’t give her name. What d’you want me to do?” Sugar looked at him, dubiously.

Luke Cage shook his head. Another one here to reprove him? Sending Claire away had been the right thing to do – she never could have accepted his decision, and there had been no point in talking about it, when he already knew exactly how the conversation would have gone.

“She won’t leave. She’s more than a little drunk, and strong, in spite of being a skinny thing. White chick, dark hair, big eyes. Anyone you know?”

At that moment, there was a disturbance on the stairs, and the door to Luke’s office was flung open violently.

Jessica. Of course it was.

She stood in the doorway, in her jeans and boots and leather jacket, unlike all the folks dressed in their finest for Harlem’s Paradise. “See you own a bar again. Much nicer than the place down in Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Jessica. Not that I’m not glad to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?”

“Read about it in the paper. Well, online, really. Had to come see for myself.” She peered at him. “You’ve gotten all fancy. Buy a girl a drink?”

“Haven’t you had a little too much already?”

“Always. Your point?”

Luke walked back to the bar, and poured her a glass of Bushmaster rum.

Jessica downed it quickly. “Nice.” She held out her glass for a refill.

Which he poured for her. There was no point in refusing Jessica a drink, after all. “You doing all right?”

“Not so well. A lot’s happened since Midland Circle.”

“Haven’t heard anything about _Trish Talk_ lately.”

“Yeah, she’s on a leave of absence or something. We’re not, uh, actually speaking, at the moment.”

“Lot of that going around.”

“So look at you, all _Scarface_ and everything.”

Luke frowned. “Not _Scarface_.”

“Well, not exactly. I know you’re not running drugs. But, you know, Misty talks to Colleen, and Colleen talks to Danny and . . . well, nobody much talks to me, but once in awhile Danny stops by the office so I can give him some shit.” She frowned. “Can’t quite figure that one out. Anyway, I hear things.”

“Misty and I aren’t exactly talking much these days, either. But I know she comes to the club. And sometimes we have interests in common.” He looked at her, and smiled. “So, speaking of _Scarface_ , you wanna be my Michelle Pfeiffer or something?”

“Can I wear my boots and jacket with the dress?”

He smiled, and shook his head. “Probably not.”

“Look, Luke. I didn’t come to give you a hard time.” She paused. “Well, that’s basically what I do. This Harlem’s Paradise thing, if this is what you want, then that’s none of my business. But you were there for me, ‘while back. I just wanted to remind you that you have some friends downtown.”

“Jess, I appreciate it. But Harlem is my place. These are my people.”

She looked at him. “I’ve learned a lot about my past since I last saw you, and, well. They are your people, but so are we. You and me and Danny and Matt . . . and maybe the big green guy or the flag waver, if they bothered to even know we exist . . . we get you in a way no one else does. Never will. That’s me, admitting to being in some kind of a club, and I don’t exactly play well with others.”

Luke shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

Her expression turned serious. “You're still one of us. And if you find yourself forgetting about that great power and great responsibility crap, well.”

“Noted.”

“You know where to find me. And I know where to find you.” Then she turned and left, without looking back.

Sugar came in, and shut the door behind him. “Keep her out from now on?” he asked.

Luke shook his head. “You’re assuming that you can keep Jessica Jones out of anyplace she wants to get into.”

“That skinny white girl?”

An old song came back to Luke’s mind, one he hadn’t been aware he’d even known. “Clearly, you haven’t met Miss Jones.”

**Author's Note:**

> Luke is, of course, thinking of the song "Have You Met Miss Jones?"


End file.
